TWENTY-TWO REASONS WHY I WON'T BE VOTING FOR TRUMP
Do you really want this guy running our county?
Here
are a multitude of reasons why I won’t be voting for Trump, which are based on
verifiable facts, including things he has said and done that prove his negative
character and his inability to be a good, positive, and effective leader of our
nation:
1. Not a proven
leader where it counts for our country. Bluster and insults are not enough
when it comes to our economic, spiritual and social futures. Running real
estate and casino companies have nothing to do with running a country, creating
alliances in Congress, or dealing with foreign allies and enemies. He has shown
ignorance on the effects that his tax plan would have on the deficit. Running a
lemonade stand is not the same as running a massive citrus farm.
2. Has few actual
policies.
Presidential contenders typically draft detailed policies that they intend to
pursue if elected. Beyond building a “great, great wall” along the southern
border and sticking it to China, Trump has released few detailed policies. His
website offers just five short position papers.
3. Has scary international
politics and inexperience. Trump claimed he would rid the world of the Islamic State
by “bombing the s— out of them.” The
problem is that, to be tough, you actually have to know how to win. Toughness
without strategy is just bluster. Such nuclear-cowboy actions would slaughter
innocent families on an enormous scale. As former defense secretary Robert
Gates said people “making these broad pronouncements” simply “don’t know what
they’re talking about.”
He has repeatedly revealed his ignorance on basic matters of
national interest. Trump didn’t know what the nuclear triad was when asked in
December’s debate, nor in November’s debate that China wasn’t a party to the
Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is intended to counter that country’s economic
influence. (The nuclear triad is the doomsday force of land-based missiles,
long-range bombers and submarine-launched missiles that the President can order
used if America is attacked.) Trump has shown ignorance on the difference
between the Quds Force in Iran and the Kurds to their west, and on North
Korea’s nuclear tests.
His plans to quickly and “humanely” expel 11 million illegal
immigrants, to force Mexico to pay for the wall he will build on our southern
border, to defeat the Islamic State “very quickly” while as a bonus taking its
oil, to bar Muslims from immigrating to the United States — are naive pipe
dreams and public relations stunts.
Trump said that the U.S. would be better off “if we had
Saddam Hussein and we had Gaddafi in charge."
4. Not a positive
leader.
As George W. Bush said, “We do not need
someone in the Oval Office who mirrors and inflames our anger and frustrations;
we need someone who can fix the problems that cause their anger and
frustration.”
5. Not a true
conservative. His liberal politics
in the past were shown as he favored the economic stimulus plan, the automobile industry
bailouts, the bank bailouts and the assault-weapons ban; he has called himself
“very pro-choice,” “very liberal” and a backer of “universal health care”;
during the 2012 campaign, he criticized Republican Mitt Romney’s harsh
immigration rhetoric – and yet he wants to build a wall on the Mexican border
and deport 11 million of them?
For those who are truly conservative in politics, a
businessman like Trump who is legendary for deal-making should be the last
person they would want in the White House.
6. A political
party flip-flopper. His party affiliation switched in 1999 from Republican to
independent, then to Democrat in 2001, then to Republican in 2009. As recently
as 2008, he praised Hillary Clinton, writing that “I know Hillary and I think
she’d make a great president or vice-president.” In 2004 he told CNN’s Wolf
Blitzer, “I probably identify more as Democrat.” This is the sign of a man
guilty of blatant pandering. This from the Republican front-runner.
7. A part of the “establishment”
that people say they hate. Just because Trump has never held elective office does not
mean he’s out of touch with the political class. Bill and Hillary Clinton attended
his wedding. He is a crony capitalist. He’s given a ton of money (mostly to
Democrats) to politicians, and sucks up to them like anybody else.
8. His nomination would
be the worst outcome for Republicans. It is impossible to predict where the
political contest between Trump and Hillary Clinton would end up. Clinton has
manifestly poor political skills, and Trump possesses a serious talent for the
low blow. But Trump’s nomination would not be the temporary victory of one of
the GOP’s ideological factions. It would involve the replacement of the humane
ideal at the center of the party and its history. If Trump is the nominee, the
GOP will cease to be.
The ideals of the Republican the party that were set by
Abraham Lincoln included “human dignity, honored by human freedom and
undergirded by certain moral commitments, including compassion and tolerance.” Where in this do Donald Trump’s antics fit?
9. Will be powerless
to do a lot of the things people say they want, to make new
laws, alter U.S. strategy. A vote for Trump is a guarantee that actual,
realistic changes people say they want will never happen. Instead of
translating outraged voices into meaningful action, we will find a candidate
who knowingly made promises he couldn’t keep.
10. Attacks anyone
who disagrees with him, from journalists to other politicians to Muslims at large
— people who have the freedom to disagree with him. Mr. tough-guy Trump can't handle tough
questions about his past and things he has said, and withdrew from Fox News’s
presidential debate because he didn’t think host Megyn Kelly would treat him
fairly. Trump has called Mexican immigrants criminals and rapists, and said of
an African-American protester, “Maybe he should have been roughed up because it
was absolutely disgusting what he was doing.”
11. Crass, rude and
offensive.
He repeated a vulgarity that was said as
a crass insult to candidate Ted Cruz, and defended it as being a “favor” for a
crowd in New Hampshire. He publicly offended candidate Carly Fiorina by saying 'Look
at that face!' he cries. 'Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the
face of our next president?!' and questioned how we could seriously support her
because she's a woman. He physically mocked a Times journalist with a disability,
ridiculed Senator John McCain for being a P.O.W., made a reference to “blood”
intended to degrade a female journalist and compared one of his opponents to a
child molester.
On Mexican immigrants he said, "They’re bringing drugs,
they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists". He has proposed registering
all Muslims. Not since the days of the Confederacy have American leaders openly
criticized another race or religion. And, there are many more well documented instances
of offensive, racist, ignorant and misogynist comments. Such behavior is common
to him, just like a school-yard bully.
As Megyn Kelly said in the first GOP debate, “You’ve called
women you don’t like, ‘fat pigs,’ ‘dogs,’ ‘slobs’ and ‘disgusting animals.’ …
Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women’s looks. You
once told a contestant on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ it would be a pretty picture to
see her on her knees."
"Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we
should elect as president?”
12. His character
flaws are very evident. Trump is erratic, inconsistent and unprincipled. He
possesses a streak of crudity and cruelty. He has a penchant for blaming others
for his mistakes, he has put out many several misogynistic and racist tweets,
and shown himself to be a man averse to being humbled by his errors and
unwilling to learn from them. He describes himself as “a really smart person,”
frequently mentioning his Ivy League education. He promises to personally
out-negotiate Iran, Mexico, Russia, China and any other international foe. What
he does lack is humility, telling a Tonight Show audience that “I will
absolutely apologize, sometime in the hopefully distant future, if I’m ever
wrong.”
Mr. Trump’s legendary narcissism would be comical were it
not dangerous in someone seeking the nation’s highest office — as he
demonstrated when he showered praise on the brutal, anti-American president of
Russia, Vladimir Putin, responding to Mr. Putin’s expression of admiration
for Mr. Trump.
Trump’s persona is very much the overbearing alpha male
character he honed as a reality television star.
13. Filed for
bankruptcy 4 times in an effort to save his casino businesses. Sometimes
bankruptcy is the result of circumstances beyond the control of the business - such
as a struggling casino industry (Need I say anything about how honorable an
industry this is for a future president to be involved in?) Usually, bankruptcies
are a combination of poor judgment and situations beyond control. Not just once
or twice, but 4 times?
Outside of bankruptcies, Trump has been involved with a
whole slew of other business failures, from an airline to selling meat. Yet, he
is considered a good businessman?
14. Hesitant to
reveal his tax returns. When Hugh Hewitt, one of the moderators, told Trump
that he said he would release his returns a year ago, the candidate replied:
“First of all, very few people listen to your radio show. I want to release my
tax returns. But I can’t release them while I’m under audit.” On CNN afterward,
Trump claimed that the IRS might be auditing him because he’s a strong
Christian. What??
Trump’s hesitancy to reveal his tax returns will show, as
Mitt Romney suggested, "Either he's not as anywhere near as wealthy as he
says he is or he hasn't been paying the kind of taxes we would expect him to
pay, or perhaps he hasn't been giving money to the vets or to the disabled like
he's been telling us he's been doing.”
15. Has been involved
in illegal business practices, including being fined for hiring
illegal immigrants to work at his properties. His Trump University is being
examined for fraud, against which several lawsuits have been filed.
16. Divorced two
times because of extra-marital affairs – Trumps marriage to first wife Ivana
lasted 14 years. They divorced because of his affair with Marla Maples who had
his baby out of wedlock. Two months after the baby was born he married Marla,
but then they divorced only 5 years later. He had extra-marital affairs with
model Kara Young and future and current wife Melania Knauss while still married
to Marla.
Can a man who can’t be faithful to his wife be faithful to
his nation?
Only one other president in U.S. history has been divorced,
and only once. Ronald Reagan was a Hollywood actor whose actress wife Jane
Wyman filed to divorce him in 1948 because of his political ambitions. He
married his second wife Nancy Davis three years later and they remained married
for 52 years until he died. Not at all a scenario that compares with Trump's
philandering caused divorces.
17. A Vietnam draft
dodger.
Trump received 4 draft deferments while a college student at the University of
Pennsylvania Wharton School, and finally got a medical exemption that staved
off the draft. Trump wasn’t drafted because of “bone spurs” in his feet that
have since miraculously vanished. Every one of our 44 presidents has had either
government or military experience before being sworn in. Mr. Trump, a real
estate mogul and former reality-television star, hasn’t served a day in public
office or the armed forces.
18. A big, loud
mouth, saying whatever the moment needs to rally support. You say you
like him because he's not afraid to speak his mind? No, it's more like he
speaks your mind. He says what you want to hear. Not that he has the ability or
knowledge of how to do anything he says.
That doesn't matter, right? As
long as you can say it in a loud-mouthed way, you must be able to do it, right?
And much of what he says is done in a provocative and unprofessional manner.
As former President George W. Bush said, "Strength is
not empty rhetoric. It is not bluster. It is not theatrics. Real strength,
strength of purpose, comes from integrity and character. And in my experience,
the strongest person usually isn't the loudest one in the room."
19. A dishonest man
that manipulates the truth. Polls have revealed
that Trump supporters want an outsider because they’re tired of political
elites who constantly lie and manipulate the truth. Yet, Trump has proven
to be the most dishonest politician running for president. FactCheck.org, which
called him the “King of Whoppers,” said, “In the 12 years of FactCheck.org’s
existence, we’ve never seen his match.” Politifact awarded Trump the 2015
Lie of the Year because 65 percent of his statements were mostly false, false
or “pants on fire.” Only 1 percent were strictly true.
Trump not only lies, but doubles down on those lies.
Examples include saying that Muslims in New Jersey cheered 9/11, that vaccines
cause autism, that President Obama wasn’t born in the United States and that
global warming is a hoax perpetrated by China to close U.S. factories.
All indications show that Trump is a big phony who says
whatever he can, bullying and lying, all for political gain.
20. His claims to
be religious are for show and highly suspect of being an effort to win evangelical
support. When asked about favorite Bible verses or making references to the
Bible, his answers have made it clear that he has a fundamental lack of
familiarity with the book. On Trump's
plans to build a wall on the Mexican border, Pope Francis said, “A person who
thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building
bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel."
21. A poor example
for children.
Generations of American parents have inspired their children to grow up to be
President. But a would-be President who insults women, spews profanity, is on
his third wife, and calls anyone who disagrees with him a “loser” may not be
someone to look up to.
22. Will accept any
endorsement, even the Ku Klux Klan. Trump refused several opportunities
to denounce an implicit endorsement from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke,
and he even went so far as to claim that he didn’t know David Duke or what he
and white supremacy groups stand for. Aw c’mon. There’s much evidence to the
contrary.
If the Ku Klux Klan endorses him, what
does that say?
There are plenty more reasons, but isn't that enough? Again, do you
really want this guy running our county?
NOTE: The information to compile this list came from various sources, not documented here, but all are verifiable and searchable on Google.
